At the helm of one of the most successful Browning boys’ basketball squads in recent years, Dan Connelly had plenty of options at his disposal this season.

And the first-year Indians’ head coach knew he could always count on Tyree Whitcomb.

“He was one of our more consistent players,” Connelly said of Whitcomb, the boys’ Athlete of the Week. “Whenever we needed something big, whether it was a rebound or a basket, he wasn’t afraid to live in that moment and take that shot or crash the boards and get that rebound.”

The 6-foot-6 athlete contributed in all facets throughout the season as the Indians made the Class A state tournament for the first time since 2012. In his junior season, he led Browning at 13.3 points and eight rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

He was also a force on the defensive end as well, leading the Northwest Conference at 2.6 steals per game and was third in the league with 1.3 blocks per contest. Connelly said Whitcomb’s combination of athleticism and mental toughness was a big asset for the program.

“He’s a fearless kid,” said Connelly, who had served as an assistant in Browning for well over a decade prior to this season. “If he makes a mistake, he just puts it behind him and keep moving forward. He can handle the ball for his size. If we get pressed, he brings the ball up for us. He’s just kind of a Swiss Army knife.”

Connelly said Whitcomb has also developed into someone who can pick up the unit in tough times.

“He’s one of our vocal leaders on the team,” he said. “Early in his career, he’d kind of get a little too hard on his teammates and kind of take them out of the game and take himself out of the game…He became a heck of a teammate. He was a more positive force out there. He would kind of uplift his teammates.”

Browning, also led by standouts such as Brandon Aims Back and Nano Stiffarm, fell in the state semis last weekend to eventual runner-up Billings Central but battled back to the consolation finals Saturday night. Although it dropped a tight decision to Hamilton in the third-place game, the showing marked Browning’s deepest tournament run since 2009.

“These kids worked hard all year,” Connelly said. “The referees would always compliment my guys on how hard they worked and how respectful they were. They just battled every day. We had that goal of making it to state and playing on Saturday night. It would’ve been nice to get some hardware, but for a program that hadn’t made it to state in a while, we’ll take it. It’s a stepping stone.”

Also nominated for boys' Athlete of the Week for their fine efforts were Rocky Boy's Ben Iron Eyes and Lewistown's Tanner Trafton. All those nominated for Athlete of the Week will be spotlighted at the Northcentral Montana Sports Awards Banquet on May 21.